Thorner: Pre-election events point to possible Red Wave on Horizon

By Nancy Thorner – 

Despite the heinous shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, none of the Democrats are demanding more gun control, at least those seeking election or their mentors, as there would be no better way to sink their already shrinking margins. Democrats finally seem to recognize Bill Clinton’s warnings, learned when he lost Congress in his own mid-term, following the “Assault Weapon Ban” of 1994.

The Assault Weapons Ban failed because deranged people find ways to murder others with whatever weapons they can find and are particularly ingenious in that respect. The only people affected are those whom habitually obey laws, at the expense of their means for self-defense. In Great Britain, the homicide rate is greater than in Utah, where carrying firearms is almost universal, only with knives, fists and feet.  For the first time in modern London has overtaken New York for murders for the first time in modern history after a surge in knife crime across the capital.

The worst mass shooting in US history, aside from 200 or so striking miners in the late 19th century, occurred at Virginia Techwhere the gunman killed 31 students and faculty with a single handgun. While students huddled in classrooms, the campus police huddled outside for 20 minutes, because the doors were chained and they didn’t want to damage school property. Time after time ordinary citizens are expendable as long as politicians are safe. But this respite won’t last long if Democrats take Congress.

House Democrats ask Pompeo to denounce new Brazilian president, called “Trump of the Tropics”

Despite the unwillingness of Democrats to call for gun control after the deadliest attack on Jews in US history, it didn’t stop a group of House Democrats from penning a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, October 26, 2018, asking him to condemn far-right Brazilian presidential front runner Jair Bolsonaro.  Bolsonaro won Brazil’s presidential election Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, marking a dramatic shift to the right in Latin America’s largest country.

According to Bloomberg:

“Bolsonaro…promised to suppress the nation’s lawlessness by meeting violence with violence, insulted minorities and women, waxed nostalgic for Brazil’s dictatorship and expressed doubts about the electoral process itself. His unforgiving politics places him among nationalists such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines and Donald Trump in America, who called him shortly after his victory was declared.”

One must always consider the source for the news, as the Bloomberg outlet is just an extension of Michael Bloomberg’s crony capitalist liberal beliefs. Unfortunately, too many “practical” investors take Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, etc. as gospel truth instead of the globalist propaganda that it really is.

Contrast the Bloomberg site with the following commentary about Bolsonaro’s election win:

“63-year-old nationalist renegade rode a wave of voter rage to Brazil’s presidency on Sunday, marking the most dramatic shift to the right in Latin America’s largest country since the end of the Cold War-era military dictatorship. Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right lawmaker and former army captain, defeated leftist Fernando Haddad in the runoff, receiving about 55 percent of the vote, according to official results with nearly 100 percent of the ballots tallied. His win adds Brazil to a growing list of countries — from the United States to Hungary to the Philippines — where staunch right-wing nationalists have scored victories at the ballot box.”

Allowing the average Brazilian to own a gun to defend himself from gangs that have run wild in Brazil is “meeting violence with violence”.  If Bolsanaro had truly offended minorities in a country were over 60% of the population is nonwhite and women who are a majority of the voters, he would not have received over 55% of the vote.

Obama vs. Trump in mass murders blame game

It is important to remember all the mass shootings under “If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun” Obama? President Trump is being blamed by liberal news outlets and pundits for the actions of a madman, who shot up a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday, leaving eleven innocent people dead and many more wounded. He’s also being blamed for the actions of an unstable bomb-maker who recently sent bombs to high-level Democrats through the mail. Liberals are shamefully calling the disturbed man, with a criminal history that goes back decades, “The MAGAbomber.”  President Obama responded to fourteen mass shootings as the President of the United States, including synagogue and church shootings. Which one of these was Obama blamed for?  None!

What will never be covered is that this mass killer knew he would face an unarmed population thanks to Jewish hatred of guns.  But Bolsanaro is evil because he wants the average Brazilian to arm themselves. And Lou Dobbs and Kevin McCarthycan’t talk about Soros, despite Soros’ dubious activities during the Holocaust, because he is a Jew. Unfortunately for the Democrats and their media allies, the latest incident involved an anti-Trump loon, which only the Internet and the British press will cover totally, as usual.

On Monday, October 29th, 2018, key members of the press amplified the message President Trump was somehow responsible for the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh by quoting supposed Jewish leaders saying the same thing.  One such group, “Bend the Arc,” released a letter from Jewish leaders to President Trump accusing him, among other things, of causing the massacre. Who runs Bend The Arc? Alexander Soros, George Soros’ son.

Red Wave Mid-Term

The excuses for the Democrats are already coming out.  It’s that evil GOP gerrymandering, that gave us all those Black and Hispanic districts that is stopping righteousness from winning.  According to Rasmussen:  Trump Approval Among Black Voters Rises to Record 40 Percent in Rasmussen Po.  No wonder the Democrats had to nominate Gillium and Abrams just to have a chance.  The black vote will be down for the Democrats in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan and possibly Wisconsin and California and Texas House races.  It was the lack of blacks that killed Hillary in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. But for the most part the media is still clinging to its “Democrats will win the House” mantra ignoring the evidence that it’s really a Democrat rout at this stage. .

Unreliable polls refuted

The polls are for the most part ridiculous. Reality is that even liberal sites are starting to give up in Florida. The October 28th Sunday early voting in Democrat Florida counties, “souls to the polls” caravans from Democrat churches, is not working.  Anything they do next Sunday will be counter-acted by emergency voting stations in the Panhandle and Trump’s Pensacola rally, on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 6:30 Central time. On 10/31/16 the Republicans led by 15,052 in early voting vs. the same point in the election at this point of a Republican lead of 59,046.  Democrats still lost Florida in 2016 despite the Libertarian and Evan McMullin taking 2.5%. These votes, along with some “walk away” Democrats, will lean Republican, that despite the incredible media hype, Gillum will lose by more votes than Nelson as he is a terrible candidate that even many blacks won’t bother to show up to vote

There is also No blue wave in North Carolina or Arizona. Trump goes to Huntington, W. Virginia on Friday, November 2nd for a rally at 4:00 p.m. EDT. That should be enough to sink Manchin despite Manchin’s vote for Kavanaugh. There are no Trump rallies officially announced after the Pensacola Saturday night rally, but Trump could blitz a lot of states after that like he did just before the 2016 election.

This election seems more like 2014 and 2002

This mid-term election feels more like 2014 or even 2002 when Bush got a boost from outside events. If the Republicans can get near Presidential turnouts as early voting indicates and minority voting continues to lag (only 11% black in Florida with a population that is 13% black), never mind many working class Blacks, Hispanics and Whites voting to save Trump that haven’t voted in Republican primaries, this should turn out to be another 2016 with a bitter Democrat defeat after very high expectations.

Most of all Thorner looks forward to the end of liberal media polling and “experts” and the demise of the very easily manipulated, foreign owned Predictit.org as possible forecasting tools for the election, when once again, as they have since 2014, they fail miserably. Predictit.org says the Dems should win easily, but if they do, it will be because wide spread voter fraud has taken place.   Meanwhile, it looks like Americans are betting on Republicans holding the House.

‘Dilbert’ cartoonist, Scott Adams, predicts huge GOP midterm turnout and explains why the Republican turnout may be historic and explains why here:  ‘Dilbert’ cartoonist predicts huge GOP midterm turnout

It’s time everyone disregard the liberal media (Who believe: Trump is not a president to be respected, so there is no need to treat him with respect.) and college polls and media “experts” once and for all!

Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 02:00 PM | Permalink

Tags: Illinois Review, Red Wave, Trump

Thorner: Will domestic, lone wolf acts of terrorism affect the mid-term electio

By Nancy Thorner – 

A hideous, evil and deadly postlude took place one day after the arrest of package bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc in Florida on Saturday, October 28, 2018, when a gunman, identified as Robert Browers, burst into a Pittsburgh synagogue shouting “All Jews must die!” during a circumcision ceremony at the Tree of Life Congregation. Sayoc was wielding an arsenal that included a semi-automatic rifle and three handguns. He killed 11 and wounded six others, including four police officers, during the 20 minute attack.

While Cesar Savoc supposedly registered as a Republican in Florida in 2016, Robert Browers is not a Trump supporter. Brower – an anti-Semitic – complained that Trump was likewise not anti-Semitic, but surrounded by “too many Jewish people.”

But in a political climate where all things are now viewed through a political lens, it’s not surprising that Democrats were quick to target Trump’s so-called “uncivil rhetoric” for the evil actions of the mail bomber as a last-ditch play, completely negating their own behavior of rage and hate against Republicans, to discredit Republicans and divert attention from the Central American mob on its way to the border. It’s still not apparent how the synagogue shooter’s evil actions will play out in the lens of politics.

Portrait of Cesar Sayoc

Although not too much is yet known about Robert Browers other than he committed the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the U.S., the following four facts are known about the mail bomb suspect, Cesar Sayoc, since his arrest on Friday, October 16.

• His van was covered in political stickers. According to online records, Sayoc registered as a Republican with the Florida GOP in 2016. While many commentators are reporting that Sayoc is “white,” he’s actually a Native American (the real kind, not the Elizabeth Warren).
• He Has an Extensive Criminal History.  According to com, Sayoc has a criminal history dating back decades.
• His Twitter Account is Allegedly “Hardrock2016.” Many of his tweets were incoherent.
• His LinkedIn Page Lists His Occupation as “Promotor,” Claims to Have a College Education.

Sayoc facts don’t add up

As to the criminal record of Cesar Altieri Randazzo or Cesar Sayoc, he had at least 33 previous run ins with the law in Florida (who knows about other states). Even liberal Geraldo Rivera of Fox News can figure this out, as in his tweet on Friday, October 26th: “#CesarSayoc has long criminal history of extremist behavior-like his 2002 bomb threats-which predate @realDonaldTrump’s political career-He’s a self-started amateur extremist- He didn’t need Trump for inspiration.”

Even Sayoc’s indictment is suspicious:  As former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy noted, If the mailed IED devices were “functionally explosive” they would fall under the category “weapons of mass destruction” [ defined here by U.S. code] and the indictment would include 18 US Code 2332a [ SEE HERE]  The absence of this charge infers the devices were not functionally explosive.”

CNN:  “Experts Tell Us ‘The Bombs Were Never Meant to Explode”’  Photos of the “bombs” show the packages were not postmarked, but the FBI can’t explain how one man driving an extremely distinctive pro-Trump white van, that would have been targeted for immediate vandalism in the Democrat neighborhood Sayoc lived in, could have caused all these packages to have been hand-delivered to various destinations all over the country within 36 hours of each other.

It’s funny how the FBI can solve the “mail bomber” case in 3 days yet know nothing about the Vegas Massacre over a year later.  As Larry Schweikart, NYTimes #1 bestselling author, film producer, ex-rock drummer put it: “Sessions can get the bomber in a week but two years later not one arrest of the Deep Staters for anything but leaking.”
Also strange is that Savoc has 32 “friends” on Facebook, all left wingers.  Read here more on Sayoc’s left wing friends and other anomalies.  Also contrast herethe media frenzy over the “Magabomber” over actual threats like Ricin to Trump and other officials, as well as all the other attacks by the Left on Republicans and Trump supporters.

Trump voters energized by stoked anger by Democrats?

Trump pointed out that the attempted murder of Steve Scalise wasn’t used by him or any other Republican as the “Bernie Sanders killer” or some other label to stoke up Republican anger against all Democrats. The truth about the “bomber” will ooze out on the Internet.  In any case, a bomb scare by some nut without blood used to attack all Trump supporters just will drive more people to the polls to vote Republican.

It’s also unlikely that working class blacks, Hispanics and whites will suddenly surge to the polls because of this story. The far left policies of the Democrats is so bad that even unions are being forced to withdraw endorsements because of angry members.  What’s more, Democrat incumbents have to place ads distancing themselves from the actions of the rest of the party.

Will with side reap sympathy benefits in mid-term?

According to an Opinion piece by Michael Goodwin in the pipe bombs and now it is the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, the instant assumption was that the allegiance of the perpetrator would determine which side would be punished in the midterms and which side would reap the benefits of sympathy.

Here are three main reasons for Goodwin’s doubts:

“First, neither suspect was a solid citizen who suddenly turned to violence because of politics. Just as most Americans did not blame Bernie Sanders when one of his supporters shot Republican Congressman Steve Scalise in a planned assassination attempt last year, most are more likely to believe Sayoc and Bowers are responsible for their own actions.”

“Second, the speed of events these days means no one storyline dominates for long, even in the anti-Trump-obsessed media. The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle looked as if it would determine the election — until the caravan of Central American immigrants making their way toward the southern border vowed to get into the country, one way or another. Both events galvanized GOP voters and quashed most predictions of a blue wave.”

“The economy is the third reason for my doubts that last week will dramatically reshape the election.”

Goodwin continues:

“Most Americans in the workforce today have never seen anything like the jobs boom and the rising incomes that go with historic low unemployment. To most voters, kitchen-table issues almost always outweigh headline-grabbing incidents, even horrible ones, a fact often lost on elite bubble dwellers. The media especially continue to fall hard for the illusion that the public trusts them to decide what matters most. In short, much as they were in 2016, too many know-it-alls are 100 percent certain about which way the wind will blow on Nov. 6. The skeptic in me suspects they still are confusing facts with their own bias.”

I still predicts a red wave on November 6^th, as expressed in my article posted at Illinois Review on Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Will there be a blue wave or a red wave on November 6^th?

Comic relief from the recent evil happenings
Back in the 1970s, liberals who didn’t find their names on President Nixon’s notorious enemies list were known to sulk for months on end.

For at least a few days, receiving a bomb could have been perceived as a status symbol for those on the Left.  It hardly strains credulity to picture Chuck Schumer seated at his desk, a dark cloud hovering over his head, muttering: “John Brennan gets a pipe bomb and I don’t?  What am I – chopped liver?”

It’s equally easy to imagine Nancy Pelosi running around her office, tearing her hair and screaming: “Debbie Wasserman-Schultz gets a pipe bomb and the Minority Leader of the House gets none.  How unfair!”

Monday, October 29, 2018 at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Tags: domestic, elections, Illinois Review, terrorism

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Thorner: Is it too late to stop recreational marijuana in Illinois?

By Nancy Thorner – 

The stark truth is that both tobacco and marijuana have damaging effects, yet cigarette smoking is vilified while smoking marijuana is being marketed as harmless.

The effects of euphoria that cannabis users seek from the drug come primarily from its psychoactive ingredient, called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC. The THC content of marijuana in the United States has jumped from less than 2 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2006, making what is available today much more toxic and dangerous.

In the U.S. nine states and Washington D.C. allow for recreational use of marijuana. While many other states allow only for medical use, marijuana still remains illegal under federal law.

In 2013, the Illinois General Assembly legalized medical marijuana. In 2016 the same body of lawmakers decriminalized possession of marijuana, reducing it to a $100 fine. Now some want full legalization of recreational marijuana.

The future of legalizing cannabis may hinge on the Illinois governor’s race.

Democrat gubernatorial nominee JB Pritzker has made legalizing recreational marijuana use a plank in his campaign platform, differentiating himself from his opponent, Gov. Bruce Rauner, who at this point, opposes legalizing marijuana and has done little to expand legal medical marijuana use in Illinois.   Read more here.

As to a false claim made by Pritzker’s in his marijuana campaign plank:

Most importantly, legalizing marijuana is a step forward in reforming our broken criminal justice system. Criminalizing marijuana hasn’t made our communities safer. What it has done is disproportionately impact black and brown communities. There are way too many people who have gone to prison or are currently sitting in prison for marijuana related offenses. The criminalization of marijuana has never been and never will be enforced fairly and it’s time to bring that to an end.

Pritzer’s claim is false, as the possession of marijuana in Illinois now merits only a fine and no jail time. Jail time is reserved for drug dealers and pushers. According to former Cook County prosecutor, Edward Ronkowski, who wrote the Narcotics Law manual, the Illinois Dept of Corrections Annual Report shows 1.4 of the prison population is serving time for violating the Cannabis Control Act.  However. “this 1.4% are the dealers doing time, most on plea bargained reduced charges, where the seizures are measured in pounds or tons.”

In 2012 we were told Colorado would lead the nation on a grand experiment in commercialized marijuana. Despite lofty promises from the marijuana industry, legalizing recreational marijuana has been detrimental to Colorado.  Many here in Illinois have been foolishly convinced that smoking marijuana is harmless and recreational status is the way to go, but do they really know the results of the Colorado experiment six years hence?

This report by Bob Troyer, who became the U.S. attorney for the District of Colorado in 2016, after working as first assistant Us. attorney for six years, as    published in The Denver Post on September 28, 2018, takes a good look at what has happened to Colorado in the six years since recreational marijuana was legalized.

• Now Colorado’s youth use marijuana at a rate 85 percent higher than the national average.
• Now marijuana-related traffic fatalities are up by 151 percent.
• Marijuana tax revenue adds less than one percent to Colorado’s coffers, which is more than washed out by the public health, public safety and regulatory costs of commercialization.
• Colorado’s alcohol has steadily climbed since marijuana commercialization.
• A Lancet study found that heavy marijuana users end up with more pain and more likely to abuse opioids.

This 2017 article, Legalized Marijuana:  What Has It Done to Colorado?  by the Center for Arizona Policyshould provide any Illinoisan with an ounce of common sense that legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes here in Illinois is an outrageous idea.

Highlights of the study are set forth under headings that include Increase in Marijuana–Related Traffic Deaths; Increase in Youth Marijuana Use; Increase in Marijuana–Related Health Emergencies; and Increase in Marijuana Culture.

Wayne Hall, a professor and director of the Center for Youth Substance Abuse Research at the University of Queensland in Australia examined scientific evidence on marijuana’s health effects between 1993 and 2013.  His findings include the following:

• Adolescents who use cannabis regularly are about twice as likely as their nonuser peers to drop out of school, as well as experience cognitive impairment and psychoses as adults. Moreover, studies have also linked regular cannabis use in adolescence with the use of other illicit drugs
• The risk of a person suffering a fatal overdose from marijuana is “extremely small; however, there have been case reports of deaths from heart problems in seemingly otherwise healthy young men after they smoked marijuana.
• Regular cannabis users also double their risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms and disorders such as disordered thinking, hallucinations and delusions — from about seven in 1,000 cases among nonusers to 14 in 1,000 among regular marijuana users.  In a study of more than 50,000 young men in Sweden, those who had used marijuana 10 or more times by age 18 were about two times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia within the next 15 years than those who had not used the drug.
• People who drive under the influence of marijuana double their risk of being in a car crash, and about one in 10 daily marijuana users becomes dependent on the drug, according to a new review.

Increases in Marijuana hospital-related health emergencies

Listen here to Dr. Karen Randall, MD, an Emergency Room Physician in the 3rd busiest Emergency Department in Colorado, talk about how today’s marijuana is contributing to the rise of homelessness, putting a huge strain on Colorado hospitals and welfare program.  These common presentations in the ER are increasing:  hyperemesis, psychosis, polysubstance use/abuse, and acute cardiac issues.   Dr. Randall is trained in emergency medicine, pediatrics and family practice. She holds a certificate in Cannabis Science and Medicine from the University of Vermont. She serves on the Board of Directors for SCEMA and VP of case management for SCEMA and has spoken nationally and internationally on the harms of marijuana.

More sites to explore:

• The Colorado Emergency Department visits per year related to marijuana has increased: 8,197 (2011), 9,982 (2012), 14,148 (2013), and 18,255 (2014).
• The number of hospitalizations related to marijuana have increased dramatically: 6,305 (2011), 6,715 (2012), 8,272 (2013), and 11,439 (2014).

Marijuana in the Workplace

A lack of coverage on the negative impact of how legalization of marijuana is affecting the workplace stems from the misconception surrounding marijuana use, encouraged by a powerful marijuana lobby that has invested in downplaying the risks of marijuana use. Marijuana in the workplace can affect the health and safety of the person taking it as well as those around them, as well as have an adverse effect on productivity.

When compared to alcohol and other drugs, which are typically excreted within hours, marijuana stays in a person’s system for weeks or more.  Marijuana side effects may make it hazardous to use marijuana at work, particularly if a person is operating heavy machinery or driving a vehicle. There is also a greater risk of an accident occurring due to the poor performance of even simple manual tasks. Regular marijuana users may start to exhibit signs of loss of energy and interest in their tasks, causing their performance to suffer. They may also find it difficult to learn new work skills.

An increase of marijuana use likewise makes doing business costly and challenging. Colorado companies are encountering job candidates who fail pre-employment drug testing.  As a result, many are actively recruiting from other states and many have moved their businesses to other states.

New York City employers are squarely blaming a raging drug epidemic for much of the trouble they have filling jobs in one of the tightest labor markets in a generation.

Marijuana and law enforcement

The Illinois Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police have recommend listening to the experts and to heed the warnings from people who speak first-hand about the effect marijuana has had on them, their profession, and their families

Read the full letter here.  Predicted are tremendous costs to the state with the use of today’s potent marijuana, likely to include an increase in crime, addiction, accidents, school dropouts, and an expansion of the welfare state to support citizens who are unable to support themselves and their families.

Check out the noweedillinois Illinois website  https://noweedillinois.com/ to find out the blunt truth about marijuana and why Illinois should not become the 10 state to legalize recreational marijuana.

Let your IL senator and representatives hear from you.

Friday, October 26, 2018 at 03:33 PM | Permalink

Tags: Illinois Review

Thorner: John Lott debunks gun control advocates’ arguments

By Nancy Thorner –

John Lott is known as the nation’s preeminent expert on guns. Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst at the Fox News Channel, in praise for Lott’s latest book, The War of Guns (Arming yourself Against Gun Control Lies) described Lott as the “most dogged, intellectually credible, academic defender of the right to keep and bear arms in the United States today.”

At Heartland Institute last week, Lott used his latest book (an essential book to read for defending your Second Amendment rights before they are taken away forever) as a sounding board for his remarks debunking the so-called “facts,” “data,” “arguments” of anti-gun advocates. His purpose is to expose how gun control movement has repeatedly twisted or ignored the real evidence, evidence that refutes them on every point.  Listen here to Lott’s Heartland presentation.

Gun control lies debunked

The following gun control lies, all debunked, were discussed by Lott:

1. Claim that the U.S. is unique in terms of homicides.
2. Claim U.S. is unique in gun ownership.
3. Claim that 32% of households have guns.  Source:  “General Social Survey”, New York Times.
4. Claim that guns allow people to kill themselves much more easily.
5. Claim that policies limiting access to guns had decreased suicides.
6. Claim we have a model for regulating guns

How does the U.S. compare to other countries? 

According to President Obama, as cited in an interview that aired on CBS Evening News, Dec. 2, 2015: “The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world.”

“Not so,” said Lott.  Compared to Africa, Australia, Europe and Israel, the U.S. has a relatively low per capita death rate from large mass public shooting, defined as 4 of more deaths in a public place. Among other countries whose borders are primarily in Europe, the rate is 65% higher than that of the U.S. The U.S. makes up about 4.4 percent of the world population (322.8 million/7.411 billion) and accounts for 4.2 percent of the deaths from these attacks.  It’s simply a matter of adjusting for America’s much larger population.

Lott then proceeded to debunk Criminologist Adam Lankford’s study covering the years of 1966 to 2012 claiming this nation had 31% of all mass public shooters in the world over 47 years, despite having less than 5% of the global population (World Factbook, 2014). Although Lankford’s study received coverage in hundreds of news stories, with international news coverage in at least 35 different countries, Lankford refused to provide his list of cases, refusing to answer questions about how he got his “complete” list of cases from around the world.

Do countries with more guns having higher homicide rates?

All studies making international comparisons of gun ownership rate make use of something called the 2007 Small Arm Survey, a group that receives funding from and often works closely with George Soros’s Open Society Institute.  The UN provides homicide data for 192 countries, but the Small Arms Survey only lists gun ownership and homicide data for 116.  The missing countries all have higher homicide rates than the U.S.  The Small Arms survey makes it look as though there are only twenty-five countries with higher homicide than the U.S., but there are really 101 countries.

As to how homicide rates compare across all 192 countries, the 2008 UN provided data showed that the U.S. rate was slightly less than 5.4 homicides per 100,000 people.  The worldwide rate was 10.5 (about twice the U.S. rate), and the median was six per 100,000.  Even so, you can’t always trust the numbers provided by the countries themselves as politicians and dictators like to give the impression that they are doing a better job than they really are, as in Chicago where what looks like murders are reclassified as “noncriminal death investigation.”

About gun bans?
Every place that has banned guns (either all guns or all handguns before and after) has seen murder rates go up.  It’s impossible to point to one place where murder rates have fallen, whether Chicago or D.C. or nations such as England, Jamaica, and Ireland, or obscure places like the Solomon Islands. Reference was made to Australia’s gun buyback of 1996-97.  Evidence shows no benefit from the law, as the buyback only took guns away from law-abiding citizens.  The reason higher crime rates didn’t happen is that self-defense use in Australia was already illegal and resulted in extreme penalties if detected.  U.S. data, however is clear.  Laws that restrict gun ownership adversely affect people’s safety.

As to regulating guns?

If government regulations were actually so effective, motor vehicle safety should have improved relative to firearms regulation.  Neither point has turned out to be true.  As to guns, there is no evidence that safety regulations reduced total suicides, as there are too many ways for people to kill themselves.

Dr. Lott’s Research Center website to join

The Crime Prevention Research Center, ( CPRC) founded by John Lott, is a research and education organization dedicated to conducting academic quality research on the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety; educating the public on the results of such research; and supporting other organizations, projects, and initiatives that are organized and operated for similar purposes. It has 501(C)(3) status and does not accept donations from gun or ammunition makers or organizations such as the NRA or any other organizations involved in the gun control debate on either side of the issue. Nor do we accept donations from organizations involved in the debate over illegal immigration.   To subscribe to the Research Center, click here.

Lennie Jarratt spoke about School Safety prior to Dr. Lott’s gun presentation

The Heartland Institute’s Lennie Jarratt, project manager for the Center for Transforming Education at The Heartland Institute, opened the event by presenting startling statistics on school safety. Watch here the youtube of Lennie Jarratt addressing the issue. Regarding Illinois’s ranking for bullying in 2018, Illinois ranked #19 in bullying prevalence, #15 in bullying impact and treatment, and #4 in highest cost of truancy due to bullying.  In a survey taken this past July 34% of adults didn’t think school safety was an important issue; however, among low income parents 48% agreed it was.

As Jarratt remarked, in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, Heartland and the Heritage Foundation partnered to consider school safety.  The Heritage Foundation published a report by Lindsey Burke and Jennifer Marshall titled the ‘Safe Student’ Scholarship — Expanding Education Choice Options to Improve School Safety. Heartland’s contribution was its report by Vicki Alger and Timothy Benson titled, Protecting Students with Child Safety Accounts.

• What is a CSA?  A parent-controlled savings account for students who fear for their safety.
• Where can a CSA be used?  Tuition and textbooks at a public school, private or parochial school, tutoring. virtual schools, college courses.
• Other eligible expenses?  Transportation, travel, therapy, home school expenses, tests, college entrance exams.

Dr. John Lott’s bio

John R Lott, Jr., Ph.D, called by Newsweek the Gun Crowd’s Guru,” is an economist.  Lott has held research and/or teaching positions at the University of Chicago, Yale University, Stanford, UCLA, Wharton, and Rice, and was the chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission during 1988 and 1989.  A FoxNews.com columnist, Lott is the author of eight previous book before his latest book, The War on Guns (Arming Yourself Against Gun Control Lies). Other books include More Guns, Less Crime and Freedomnomics.  Lott received his Ph.D. in economics from UCLA in 1984.

Coming events at Heartland

Check out the Coming event at the Heartland Institute:

• Friday, October 26 –

The Heartland Institute’s 34th Anniversary Benefit Dinner

Featured Keynote Speaker:  Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

5:30 PM – 9:00 PM Palatine, Illinois

• Wednesday, Nov. 7th –

Twila Brase: ‘Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records’

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Arlington Heights, Illinois

• Wednesday, Nov. 14 –

‘The Creepy Line’ Movie Screening and Discussion

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Arlington Heights, Illinois

(Photos by Mark Weyermuller – shown here with Nancy Thorner)

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 12:57 PM | Permalink

Tags: advocates, gun control, Illinois Review

Comments

Carl Lambrecht said…

Guns are an equalize for little old ladies.
Love Saves Lives
Carl Lambrecht

Reply Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 04:11 AM

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Thorner: Will there be a Blue Wave or a Red Wall on Nov 6th?

By Nancy Thorner – 

The Left is counting on fear and extreme hatred toward Trump to bring about a change in the US House leadership spurred on by angry voter turnout in the November mid-term elections. But consider this development:

Optimism about the economy, measured by Americans who are optimistic about current conditions and the future, hit an all-time high in CNBC’s All-American survey, the financial news network reported Monday. Fifty-one percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, according to the CNBC survey. This was the second consecutive CNBC quarterly survey showing that Trump’s handling of the economy was viewed positively by the majority of Americans. It further supports the finding Friday from the University of Michigan consumer survey that confidence in the government’s economic policies jumped to the highest level in fifteen years.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday, October 16, shows that 51% of likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-nine percent (49%) disapprove.

Rasmussen was far more accurate in 2016  than the Washington Post ABC polling which reported that Trump nationwide had a 41 percent approval rating, and Democrats had a 53-42 percent edge in the generic ballot for the House. But inside the 66 districts that were tossups, or only leaning toward one party or the other — the majority makers, or breakers — that lead evaporated into a 46-47 Democrats v. Republicans race. It’s a similar dynamic — driven by Democratic strength in cities, and weaknesses in rural areas — that is driving House and Senate forecasts in opposite directions, amid a campaign close set to be dominated by the president. If you add in the 3 to 5 point bias that Washington Post/ABC showed in 2016, the Republicans are in no danger of losing the House.

Polling of swing districts on October 16, 218, shows a lead Republican surge and lead:  New Jersey 3rd District – MacArthur vs. Kim (Stockton University), MacArthur 47, Kim 45; Florida 26th District – Curbelo vs. Mucarsel-Powell (Mason-Dixon),  Curbelo 46, Mucarsel-Powell 45; Utah 4th District – Love vs. McAdams (Salt Lake Tribune), Love 46, McAdams 46; New York 27th District – Collins vs. McMurray (Siena), Collins 46, McMurray 43; West Virginia 3rd District – Miller vs. Ojeda (Monmouth), Miller 48, Ojeda 45.  This is the best liberal colleges and media outlets can do when in the past Democrat polling peaked, the weekend polling 3 weeks before the election!

See here the debate between Arizona’s Senate candidates Sinema and McSally where Sinema did a Christine “I am an innocent child” Ford routine, while “angry” McSally, like Kavanaugh, grilled her on facts: Even though the race between Sinema and McSally is even considered dead even if you just look at the polls, the odds are very good for McSally based on the polling, history, and Sinema’s radical past, plus the Kavanaugh/Trump bump. Read here to learn the 11 freakiest things about Democrat Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema.  Republican Martha McSally is an Air Force veteran.

The last Real Clear Politics poll in the Senate races in Arizona is from 10/2; Florida, 9/27; Indiana, 10/2; Montana, 9/22; Pennsylvania, 9/23; W. Virginia, 9/26; Wisconsin, 10/3.  However, at this point it doesn’t look like Democrats will beat any Republican Senate incumbent.  Democrats, like in 2014, are a lock to lose 4 seats and maybe as many as 8-10.

Since the New York Times can’t fight back with their Siena polling, the preeminent academically situated polling Institute in New York State, the Times is trying to spin some big advantage with Dem fundraising, reporting that  Democrats out raised their Republican opponents in 32 of the closest 45 House races by a total margin of $154 million to $108 million since November 2016

Hillary with her PACs outspent Trump 3 to 1; however, the age of the Internet and a nationalized campaign, thanks to Trump and Kavanaugh, doesn’t need money for ads as much as in the past. Contrast the crowds for Trump (or even Ted Cruz and other Republican candidates) with those for the Democrats, and you see the same enthusiasm gap now for Trump as you saw in 2016.  As Trump tweeted @realDonaldTrump:

“The crowds at my Rallies are far bigger than they have ever been before, including the 2016 election. Never an empty seat in these large venues, many thousands of people watching screens outside. Enthusiasm & Spirit is through the roof. SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING – WATCH!”

Consider also President Donald Trump’s re-election effort which raised $18 million in the third quarter, bringing his total since taking office to $108.1 million.  This is an unusual amount for a president in the first two years of his term. The liberal media never considers Trump fundraising ability or Trump’s crowds in their reporting of who is actually winning this election.

Regarding Elizabeth Warren’s presidential aspirations to challenge Trump in 2020, the liberal media tried to spin Warren’s latest DNA release as positive, but it actually shows Warren with more Latin American Indian blood than the Cherokee blood she claimed. Warren, in defending her decision to release her DNA testing, told the Boston Globe’s Editorial Board she went public when she did because that’s when the analysis came back.  The timing of her release didn’t set well with the Democrat Party.

As to why many Native Americans are angry with Elizabeth Warren, their anger is about what it means to be Native American — and who gets to decide. If Warren ever thought she was presidential material, she is fooling herself and so are her advisors.  Kamala Harris’ screeching at the Kavanaugh hearings and her other media events have also not helped Warren.

There is always Uncle Joe Biden waiting in the wings.   Recently it was reported that Biden would likely announce his 4th run for president.  Although opining that age would be an issue — Biden would be 77 if challenging Trump in 2020 — Biden did admit he was being pressured to run, even though he has never been viable outside his own state of Delaware.  It’s not likely that the Left, now defined as Democratic Socialists, would tolerate somebody with a “moderate” image to challenge Trump in 2020. That would mean that the Left would have had to accept the behind the scenes truth.

As of now, Democrats look like they are going to get pounded in the mid-term 2018 elections leaving them in a desperate mood. The hard numbers in four states (Iowa, Florida, Ohio, and Arizona) show a Republican surge of early and absentee ballots requests piling up in impressive numbers. The same is happening in Florida. No wonder the polling is starting to break for Republicans. Nothing can be hidden any more.  Republican voters are also fired up to vote!

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 02:37 PM | Permalink

Tags: blue wave, Illinois Review, Nov 6th, red wall

Thorner: Author George Barna upholds children as the hope for America’s future

By Nancy Thorner, Photos by Mark Weyermuller –

The 10th annual Illinois Family Institute Banquet was held on Friday, October 5, 2018, at Stonegate Conference Center, 2401 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, IL, with 350 enthusiastic members and supporters of the IFI present. The theme of the night’s event was “Keeping Our Eye on the Prize.”

Author George Barna outlines current public opinion of traditional issues

The evening’s keynote speaker, author George Barna had much to say about children, family values and the church. As stated by Barna: “Disciples are not born that way but are made. Parents transform children into disciples by showing them the right path to follow and not hiding God’s truth from children.”

As to the role of local churches, its role is to support parents so their children can become all they are meant to be. Children are the leaders of tomorrow. God also commands us to focus on children, Barna said.

The core for doing so is to win over children. As Barna explained, a person’s destiny is decided very early in life. From 15-18 months up until age 13, core beliefs are formed and even a child’s world view. Also determined by age 13 is a child’s moral foundation in knowing right from wrong, as well as their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

A somewhat sobering thought expressed by Barna is how powerful the world views of children are. The typical American will die with the same worldview acquired by age 13. Although there are dozens of world views, only 7% of Americans have a Biblical worldview of thinking like Jesus so they can live in the way Jesus lived. Among millennials, it’s only 4%.

Post Modernism as the major worldview

As expressed by Barna, one world view has risen to the top in the last 20 years, post modernism, where there is no real meaning or purpose in live because all truth is relative. This is a disturbing trend as our worldview is the centerpiece of who we are as human beings and likewise affects everything in our lives. In comparing the 10 top values of our Founding Father to those held today, it was not surprising to find that not one value overlapped.

Barna described the moral landscape of today’s America as a radical generational shift which has moved this nation into moral anarchy. He attributed this, in part, to parents who have moved away from the Biblical view of the world. Barna rated movies and TV as 60% to 70% responsible for the negative cultural changes in the young.

As to why parents have moved away from a Biblical viewpoint of the world, Barna explained how pastors in the past mostly worked with adults. Their kids attended church, but little attention was paid to them. Now as parents, they are unable to teach a Biblical worldview to their own children.

Defining one’s legacy

In closing, Mr. Barna suggested that each person invest in at least one child. Said Barna, “We are called to reach children.” Barna then asked this question: “What is your legacy?”, to which he answered accordingly: “In the Lord’s eyes it’s what you invest in your children. We must raise spiritual champions.”

George Barna founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 where it soon became the leading marketing research firm that focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009. Barna is now the executive director of The American Cultural and Faith Institute that conducts research on worldview, cultural transformation and politics. He has also been a pollster in three presidential campaigns. Barna has sold more books on survey research related to matters of faith than any author in American history. His latest book, The Day Christians Changed America tells how Christian Conservatives Put Trump in the White House. Available for purchase at the event was a signed book by the author. Check here to purchase Barna’s book on-line

Jeanne Ives receives warm welcome

At the IFI celebration, State Rep. Jeanne Ives’ (R-Wheaton) role as emcee provided her a platform to address and thank many in the audience that worked with and supported Ives in her effort to defeat incumbent Rauner in the March 2018 Illinois Primary elections. Out of 630,000 GOP votes cast, only 20,500 votes separated Ives from ousting incumbent Bruce Rauner as the party’s 2018 candidate.

In speaking about her good friend State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine), who now finds himself in the race of his life, Ives related how Democrat House speaker Mike Madigan is using $400,000 provided by J.B. Pritzker to defeat Morrison this time. As Ives told the audience, “House Speaker Mike Madigan wants all this year, a win for Democrats in every Republican suburban seat so he can then go down in history as having all to culminate his 50 years in office.”

Ives gave an update on the state of IL, referring to an article in Politico by Theodoric Meyer, dated Oct. 5, 2018:

The question, it seems, is not whether Pritzker is likely to be Illinois’ next governor, but why he would want the job. Barring a sharp reversal in the polls, he is on track to coast into office. Once he gets there, however, he’ll be confronted with perhaps the most daunting policy challenges facing any governor in the country. Looming over the campaign is not just the question of whether either candidate has a real plan to fix the state, but whether anyone can.

Ives described Illinois as the last in the nation for fiscal soundness and outward migration, even while the rest of the nation is surging ahead. For Ives, informed citizens are of utmost importance, which means knowledge of our Constitution.

“Ten percent of Americans believe that Judge Judy sits on the Supreme Court; 32% can’t name our three branches of government; and many can’t even name this nation’s first president,” she told the audience. Illinois is also near the bottom for developers, having the 2nd highest in this nation’s property taxes.

As to the political revolt started by Jeanne Ives, she had this to say: “Together we stated a revolt. Although the popular vote fell a bit short, what started on faith was a effort to change our political culture. There are still no easy answers for Illinois. It is important that if we lose one game, we must learn to fight the next one for those who follow us.

IFI honors the late Peter Hulzenga

The legacy of Peter Hulzenga was honored as a generous supporter of conservative causes and organizations and a tireless worker. IFI Executive Director David Smith presented the Illinois Institute Legacy Award to Peter’s widow, Heidi.

David Smith opines

“We live in a prosperous land. It is God who nurtures and sustains,” Smith then referred to Apostle Paul’s letter written to the Church in Carnish, which admonished Christians to remain steadfast.

In speaking about the coming mid-term election, Smith called is a spiritual battle, saying, “We are the soldiers in this battle. As Christians we must remain steadfast. The cultural battle has entered a more vigorous phrase. We must rise up to meet it.”

Smith expressed the following concerns which require public action through getting in touch with state representatives:

Senate Bill 3249: This bill may come up for a vote, which mandates the inclusion in the curriculum of LGBT history being taught in K-12.
Recreational use of marijuana is being strongly promoted, despite serious consequences related to its use in this manner. Read here about the impact of legal marijuana on Colorado and much more.

Smith also mentioned the 40 Day Life Campaign taking place from September 26th to Nov. 4th to build up and restore a Biblical view of abortion here in Illinois. (Look here for the nearest location to get involved.)

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Friday, October 19, 2018 at 11:00 AM | Permalink

Tags: George Barna, Illinois Family Institute

Comments
Tim Favero said…

Great article Nancy. Keep ’em coming!
Reply Friday, October 19, 2018 at 01:34 PM
Cynthia Allen Schenk said…

Wonderful article Nancy, so sorry I could not make this event.
Reply Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 10:23 AM
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Thorner: Expert says Constitution and Sovereignty undermined by river of hate

An eye-opening presentation was given by Philip Haney at Phyllis Schlafly’s Gateway Eagle Council XLVII, which was held September 14-16, 2018 at the Marriott St. Louis Airport, Saint Louis, MO. Haney’s topic, entitled Sovereignty & The Constitution vs. The Threats We Face, focused on the threats posed both by the radical Islamic Movement, as well as threats from the Left that we currently are at war with.

Philip Haney specialized in Islamic theology and the strategy and tactics of the global Islamic movement before retiring from government in 2015 Philip is the author of the book See Something, Say Nothing (A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government’s Submission to Jihad).

As Philip Haney stated: “It is impossible to effectively respond to threats that are abstract; however, if life is valued we would protect our borders and prohibit sanctuary cities It is a travesty that many Americans don’t recognize the threats we do face as a nation, or that we are involved in a battle People often ask “Just how far will it go?”

Haney referenced a verse from Isaiah 28.5-6 to explain what must be done: “In that day the Lord of Hosts will be a crown of beauty unto the remnant of his people And a spirit judgment to them that sit in judgment, and strength to them who turn the battle to the gate.”

According to Phil Haney (as quoted from Abraham Lincoln), “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — within the occasion. We must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our county…the last best hope on earth.”

What are we fighting?

As to what we are fighting? We are fighting for our sovereignty. It involves an underground (artesian) river of those seeking to destroy this nation in tandem with the main stream media. As a noun, sovereignty means Supreme Power or Authority, the Authority of a State to Govern Itself or Another State, a Self-Governing State.

Within the context of Sovereignty, Mr. Haney has observed that no unified strategy exists within our National Alliance to fight the threats we face, and that many Americans remain indifferent to or unaware that a battle even exists. He added that the path ahead will require strength and courage from those willing to push back against an adversary who is willing to do whatever it takes to win back power and control (i.e., the Supreme Court Hearings).

According to Haney, Sovereignty in the minds of those attempting to enact what resembles a coup d’état does not include the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. Haney also believes President Trump is allowing “the fruit to ripen” (the process to unfold) in the Mueller Special Council probe, to allow the American people time to witness the real intentions of those entities intent on undermining the presidency and the sovereignty of this nation.

Threats we face

As to the threats we face, Haney spoke of the Washington, D.C. swamp, humorously defining those who live in the swamp as “hybrid swamp creatures.” Haney then listed four qualities of the hybrid swamp creatures:

Mutant Hybrids (R’s, D’s & I’s) that turn into creatures that no one elected.
They are Amphibians, camouflaged in Red White & Blue.
They are armed with VERY sharp, toxic stingers that leave painful scars.
Anonymous; most have no face, but…some have…two faces.

The threats we face include the Global Islamic Movement (GIM), Antifa, Progressives, Leftists, and the Socialist movement which Mr. Haney characterized as the APPLES.

By the way, the Socialist Dream is a promising dream that always ends in misery, 100% of the time Even though anyone who has tried Socialism has gotten hurt, this form of government is still deemed favorable, especially by the younger generation, the excuse being that everyone else did it the wrong way Fifty years of educational dumbing down and academic indoctrination has made severe inroads into out flanking an educational system that once celebrated the prosperity that the free enterprise system has created over the past 242 years.

As he discussed the Global Islamic Movement, Haney showed that he had first-hand knowledge of the Muslim Brotherhood, and of a large global Islamic group known as Tablighi Jamaat, while he was employed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs & Border Protection (CBP) under the Obama administration.

During his tenure with CBP, Haney got into trouble when his intelligence revealed information that the Obama administration wished to keep under cover. Haney spoke of being investigated nine times over ten years, with efforts made to indict him on criminal charges and put him in jail. Haney further revealed that the same people who went after him behind the walls of DHS and the State Department are the same people who are currently going after Trump. In other words, the Obama administration — as it did with other questionable events which reeked of unethical and unlawful behavior — kept Haney’s investigative work from reaching the public and likewise managed to get away with it.

Domestically, the Muslim Brotherhood, and its various front groups such as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), continue to threaten this nation and our sovereignty.

Disregard for Rule of Law threatens sovereignty

Regarding what Haney described as the Law Enforcement Arena, Haney stated that since it was the first to be corrupted, it will also be the last to be reformed, which, fortunately, is happening under the Trump Administration.

Mr. Haney also spoke of how our nation’s sovereignty remains under threat through opposition to border protection and through illegal designation of sanctuary cities. Haney pointed out that Democrats calling for the shutting down of ICE include Kristen Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren, who are both potential Democrat presidential candidates in 2020.

As mentioned just above, pertinent now to our nation’s sovereignty is the current battle over Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court is being raked over the coals specifically because of the abortion issue, which remains the paramount goal of Democrats, to preserve the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, at ALL COSTS(!!). To Democrats, Kavanaugh’s confirmation represents a shift in the balance of power on the Supreme Court, (that is, away from Roe vs. Wade), which they are determined not to prevent, no matter what the cost may be.

Apparently, laws and the Constitution are of no concern to Democrats, if those laws stand in the way of advancing their own agenda. For example, if the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh is defeated what will happen to Due Process? Kavanaugh’s defeat would establish an incredibly and destructive and unfair precedent, where evidence and due process are no longer necessary.

Basic tenants of our Constitution

In closing, Phil Haney explained basic tenants of our Constitution which direct what the government is required to do.

Article I, Section 8, Paragraphs 4 & 15

The Legislative Branch – Powers of Congress

To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization…throughout the United State; to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections & repel Invasions.

Article IV, Section 4

The States – Republican Government

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this of this Union a Republican Form of government and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and… against domestic Violence.

Article VI, Paragraph 2

Debts, Supremacy, Oaths

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby.

Amendment XIV, Section 1

Citizenship Rights

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges of citizens of the U.S.; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Concluding thoughts

The second to last slide in Hanley’s power point presentation showed the cartoon character Popeye in a boxing position with this caption: “That’s all I can Stands, I can’t Stands No More.”

Following this slide was one that displayed a can of Allen’s POPEYE brand Chopped Spinach. Those of us old enough to remember the Popeye cartoon character know that eating spinach made Popeye strong and kept him strong.

We as Americans must also remain strong and must fight back against our enemies, lest this great experiment perceived by our forefathers is destroyed by those who wish to annihilate this nation’s sovereignty and its Constitution.

Bio of Philip Haney

Philip Haney studied Arabic culture and language while working as a scientist in the Middle East before becoming a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 as a Customs & Border Protection agriculture office After advancing to an armed CBP officer where he served several tours of duty at the National Targeting Center near Washington, D.C., he was quickly promoted to its advanced Targeting Team, an unprecedented accomplishment for an agent on temporary duty assignment Officer Haney won numerous awards and commendations from his superiors for meticulously compiling information and producing actionable reports that led to the identification of hundreds of terrorists He specialized in Islamic theology and the strategy and tactics of the global Islamic movement before retiring in 2015 Philip is the author of the book See Something, Say Nothing (A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government’s Submission to Jihad).

As stated by Phyllis Schlafly: “The crying need of our times is for noble leaders — for men and women who have the courage to stand fast…and who are willing to pay the price that leadership demands in terms of self-discipline and difficult decisions.” Phil Haney exhibits the leadership demanded in this time of great peril, when elements in our society are scheming to destroy Trump and his administration, our Constitution, and the Rule of Law

Thorner had the occasion to hear Phil Comey speak on two other occasions: the first time when he spoke at the Des Plaines, IL chapter of Act for Americaand the second time at a gathering of conservatives in Rockford, IL, with photos provided by Mark Weyermeyer.

 

 

 

Thorner: Marxists are winning via America’s education system, U of W professor says

Dr. Duke Pesta’s experiences as an educational reformer, university professor, high school teacher, and the administrator of an online home school curriculum uniquely qualify him to address the current state of education in our country. Dr. Pesta is currently a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh and Academic Director of Freedom Project Education.

Referring to himself at one point as an “educational evangelist,” Dr. Pesta advances his educational messages to the public with much passion and enthusiasm. As said by Pesta, his was a tough talk to present during his allotted one-half time slot from 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 15, 2018, at Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Council XLVII held in St. Louis from September 14-15-16 at the Marriott St. Louis Airport, Saint Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Pesta described the state of education in terms of a “grave situation.” The goal of learning informational facts through the educational process has been supplanted by the “social reorganization (indoctrination) of our kids.” As to English classes, no longer is writing being taught, basic grammar or sentence structure (syntax). Instead, Freshmen writing classes have been gutted, replaced by amorphous writing exercises designed to reinforce social justice pieties, instead of stressing good writing and sound composition.

As to the teachers and professors hired by colleges, liberals are hired and dominate college campuses. Dr. Pesta related an incident at Brown University where Lisa Littman, an assistant professor, published a study titled “Rapid-onset gender dysphoria in adolescents and young adults: A study of parental reports.” Because the study concluded that Rapid-onset gender dysphoria among teens and young adults may be a social contagion linked with having friends who identify as LGBT, it was quickly yanked from Brown’s news releases after a transgender activist feeding frenzy.

Freedom of speech is being stifled on college campuses or any idea that does not jive with the dictates of progressive thinking. We are judged as anti-science, if we assert that man-made global warming is a hoax.

As related by Dr. Pesta, accusations are now enough to shuts down arguments. Such behavior surfaced in the current Kavanaugh hearing circus. Democrats serving on the Senate Judicial Committee were never going to confirm Kavanaugh. Allegations were enough by Christine Blasey Ford to cement their votes against Kavanaugh, even when there was no collaborating evidence.

Pesta likewise discussed the travesty of kids not being given foundational books to read in their entirety. Children need only to understand the books. This led to a discussion by Pesta of the lens system of education, which had its beginning 25 years ago. Looking at books through “lenses” that advocate progressive thought and ideology is a way to misread texts, projecting left wing ideas onto them. In simple terms, books are distorted through the lens systems approach, which has resulted in the infiltration of Cultural Marxism (social justice education) within Western educational institutions. Pesta used the teaching of history as an example. Presumed to know about history, students are then asked to look at the text, only to be told the text doesn’t mean what it really says. Pesta then went on to provide an example from a Shakespearean play in which Marxism was projected back to Shakespeare, forcing students to 400-year-old plays through the lens of Marxist economics. Pesta related this way of reading to imposing a mirror between students and texts, through which they only see their own culture and ideas as reflected back to them.

As to the attitude of students, ignorance is combined with arrogance. In years past students were humble in what they didn’t know. Today, the less students know the more they think they know. In that students are being restricted in their learning experiences to those prescribed by a progressive educational program promoted by their liberal professors, brainwashing is occurring purposely to keep students ignorant. Listen here to this compelling interview, Why Cultural Marxism is Destroying America, by Duke Pesta and Stefan Molyenux.

Diversity has become an obsession on college campuses. According to Dr. Pesta, those who speak the loudest about diversity are the ones trying to destroy it. At the University of Madison beef gelatin in ice cream became an issue. Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison argued that the serving of ice cream, which often contains beef gelatin, in facilities like dining halls, makes Muslim and vegan students feel unwelcome on campus, even though ice cream is an iconic part of the culture in dairy-rich Wisconsin. As Pesta remarked, ice cream with beef gelatin, or removing the Confederate flag, do not constitute real issues of concern; instead, they serve as ways for Marxists to win through leveling the foundation of our Western civilization in the minds of kids.

Why is education so wanting in this nation? For Dr. Pesta, some blame can be placed on leftists who in the 60’s and 70’s became deans and professors at colleges. As an expert on Common Core, having delivered more than 350 talks around the country alerting parents to its dangers, Pesta stated how Common Core represents the federal takeover of education. Even so, the federal government only contributes 6% or so to your state’s educational budget. Most importantly, our Founding Fathers made no provision for public schools. The Leftist, progressive slant of Common Core can be traced back to the time of John Dewy who idolized Russian education. Nelson Rockefeller was the primary supporter of Dewey.

The results produced by Common Core leave much to be desired. Dr. Pesta described Common Core as the pulling down of cultural Marxism into the public schools.” As reported by Dr. Pesta, at the 8th grade level only 35% of students are proficient in math, while 37% can’t read at the 8th grade level. In examining the name given to what has resulted in government control of education — Common Core — “Common” denotes the lowest common denominator, and “Core” raises the question of how all students benefit from the same core curriculum?

The real purpose of education is no longer just to gain knowledge. It has been replaced by a social agenda that aims to produce adults who will all fit into the mold that has been prescribed for them through Common Core teaching. In that teachers pass through a social justice pedagogy assures that this nation’s education system will remain wanting and below the standards set by many other nations.

Bio information

Dr. Duke Pesta received his M.A. in Renaissance Literature from John Carroll University and his Ph.D. in Shakespeare and Renaissance literature from Purdue University. He has taught at major research institutions and small liberal arts colleges on a wide variety of subjects at the graduate and undergraduate level, including courses on Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, the Bible, Russian literature, Christian Apologetics, and C.S. Lewis. His book, The Renaissance and the Postmodern: A Study in Comparative Critical Values, was published by Routledge in 2016.

Dr. Pesta’s experiences as an educational reformer, university professor, high school teacher, and the administrator of an online home school curriculum uniquely qualify him to address the current state of education in our country. Dr. Pesta is currently a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh and Academic Director of FreedomProject Education.

As Academic Director of FreedomProject Education, a fully accredited, Common Core Free, online Classical school, built on Judeo-Christian values for students from Kindergarten through High School, Dr. Pesta has delivered more than 350 talks around the country alerting parents to the Dangers of Common Core. In 2014 I was fortunate to hear one of Dr. Pesta’s talks warning about Common Core here in Illinois. Here is the article Thorner wrote when I heard Dr. Pesta speak in 2014 at the Northern Illinois Patriots: Chilling Truth Behind Common Core State Standards.

Listen here to Common Core: 101 – 5 Minute Breakdown with Duke Pesta, published on Feb. 20, 2005, by Freedom Project Media.

Wednesday, October 03, 2018 at 01:42 PM | Permalink

Thorner: National Sovereignty Takes Center Stage at Gateway Eagle Council XLVII

Thorner: National Sovereignty Takes Center Stage at Gateway Eagle Council XLVII

Screen Shot 2018-10-01 at 1.50.23 PM
Lt. Col. Tony Schaffer at Gateway Eagle Council

By Nancy Thorner –

Phyllis Schlafly’s Gateway Eagle Council XLVII from September 14-15-16 at the St. Louis Airport Marriott offered a stellar line-up of speakers from this country, but there were also two speakers from “across the pond” and even one from down under in Australia, Babette Francis. Babette was born and raised in India before meeting her Australian Husband. She is one of the founding members of Endeavor Forum Inc., a pro-life, pro-family Australian women’s organization that has links to similar groups overseas.

Although Babette’s presentation about The Fraud of Transgenderism was notable, I chose not to expound upon what she said, but instead decided to highlight two speakers from across the pond and one from the U.S., all of whom spoke about security issues faced by this nation, and to a much greater degree in Europe. Each speaker had a high regard for this nation and President Trump. Their remarks were thought provoking and at times surprising in what was revealed.

Tony Shaffer, London Center for Policy Research: Trump is Winning on Immigration and Europe Agrees

Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer spoke on the afternoon of Saturday, September 15. Lt. Col. Shaffer (retired) is a highly experienced intelligence officer, a recipient of the Bronze Star, with 30 years of field and operational experience. He has testified before Congress on key intelligence issues, lectured at the U.S, Army War College and is a nationally known Subject Matter Expert (SME) intelligence collection and policy, terrorism, date mining, situational awareness and adaptive/disruptive technologies.

Initially, Shaffer referenced a joint press conference that took place on July 13, 2018, at the prime minister’s country home in Chequers. When asked to elaborate on his comments on immigration Trump said: “Allowing immigration to take place in Europe is a shame. . . I think it’s been very bad for Europe. . . I think it’s changing the culture.”

Lt. Col. Shaffer believes the invasion of immigrants is not happening by accident. It was deliberate as chaos benefits the political Left. Wars in Syria and Iraq helped create what is on-going in Europe, the expansion of Islam. As such, we helped create the existing conditions in Europe. According to Shaffer, migration is “a political movement that is taking place by the radical element in society today. It destroys Western culture.”

Europeans are beginning to realize that immigration is not really benefiting them, but the European Union remains congenial to the invasion of immigrants despite the existence of sleeper cells ready to spread terror. Saudi Arabia could help by building whole cites in the desert to house the refugees, but, according to Shaffer, Saudi Arabia wants the Islam religion to spread.

In speaking about President Obama and why his administration had so many failures, Shaffer gave this explanation: “All solutions were based on a political point they wanted to score. Refusing to act on what was reality, political motivation became the norm.” According to Shaffer, the Obama administration wanted the crisis to remain in North Korea.

Said Shaffer, “Europe has become a basket case. Obama said it would take ten years to defeat ISIS. Trump told the Pentagon to kill, and Trump did so in less than two years. We must encourage those in Europe to think for themselves and then make good choices.” A looming issue right now is Turkey. There is the continued detention in Turkey of Andrew Brunson, an American evangelical pastor who faces 35 years in prison on charges of espionage and terrorism. Controversy also exists over the sale of F-35 to Turkey over its Russia deal

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Tarczynski with Ed Martin and Jim Hoft Bystron with Martin and Hoft

Polish Parliamentarian MP Dominik Tarczynski and German Parliamentarian MP Petr Bystron discuss National Sovereignty

Dominik Tarczynski is an MP in the Polish Parliament. He serves as the vice president of the European Conservatives in Council in Europe. Dominik is also the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the United States and the European Union.

Petr Bystron is the Speaker of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) on the Foreign Policy Committee of the German Bundestag. He was born in Olomouc, former Czechoslovakia in 1972, and came to Germany in 1988 as a political refugee and joined the European-critical AfD in 2013. He is currently one of the 10 most popular German politicians on social media.

Eagle Awards were presented to Tarczynski and Bystron at an awards dinner on Saturday night, September 15. As Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles said: “Both of these men have had a great impact on the fight for freedom in Europe! Phyllis Schlafly created the Eagle Award to honor those who dedicate their work to God, Family, and Country. Dominik Tarczynski and Petr Bystron are doing just that!”

During the final morning of Eagle Council XLVII, Sunday, Sunday, September 16, Dominik and Petr participated in a panel discussion: Future of the European Union. Brett Decker was the moderator. Decker has written and provided strategic communications advice for projects in the U.S., Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Brett is the co-author of Phyllis Schlafy’s book, The Conservative Case for Trump.

Brett Decker revealed that back in 2012, four years prior to Trump’s election, he had a long conversation with Trump. At the time Phyllis said that he might be our guy.

As moderator, Decker prefaced his discussion by citing that Europe is in the eye of the storm in its war between Islam and Christianity. We have radical Islam invading Europe in a madness started by Leftists. It’s about Europe’s identity as a Christian culture. Europe is also facing globalism at hyper speed. Poignant questions were then posed to Bystron and Tarczynski by Decker, such as the future of Europe and the Trump factor.

I was taken back when Germany’s Petr Bystron said, “America doesn’t care about Europe.” As to the future of Europe, Bystron spoke of the difference between Europe and the European Union. According to Bystron, the European Union doesn’t have a long future because of its bureaucratic control. Since 1990 EU has become steadily worse. It now has a monetary unit that doesn’t work. We were told that we had to save the Greeks. We did save some banks in the process, but it’s money Europe will never see again.

On immigration, Bystron related how German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders in 2008 to immigrants. Now immigrants cross over seven countries to get to Germany. It has become too much for Germany, so Merkel now wants to spread the immigrants around Europe, enforcing other countries to take refugees, but EU’s 28 members disagree on a common asylum policy and a fair distribution of refugees. The row has split the bloc for three years and shows no signs of being resolved. Crime associated with the refugees has become a problem in Germany and throughout Europe.

Poland’s Tarczynski stressed how the future of Europe depends on fighting for its identity. If we don’t do so, no one will fight for us. Our identity is found in our DNA. We must fight for it or become Muslim. It is a question of whether Europe wants Roman or Sharia law. If Europe allows jihadists to take over, Europe will be dead. Angela Merkel is looking for cheap labor, for which Bystron called her naive. Thoughts expressed about this nation: “If America will be great again, the world will be safe. America is a great ally of Poland. The future of Europe depends on Donald Trump. Do we want Roman law or Sharia law?”

As to the press in Germany (and in the rest of Europe), Bystron referred to it as the “yellow press”, not unlike the media in this nation. He cited an example of media bias when Michelle Obama was presented as representing the next “Jackie”, while first lady Melania Trump was completely ignored.

Those in Bystron’s party in Germany are called Nazis, although his party has in it the second largest number of foreigners. According to Bystron, Merkel’s invitation for immigrants to come to Europe has nothing to do with humanity. She instead wants poor people to exploit. Said Bystron: “If Merkel really wanted to help people, she would help them in their country of origin.”

Keeping on the theme of immigration, Tarczynski of Poland called the whole immigration thing a new religion. Christianity has been replaced with the idea of helping and caring especially for the migrant population. Those of us who fight back against the Left are called Fascists or Nazis. Has the Left forgotten that Stalin killed 200 million to Hitler’s 60 million? The same Leftist press exists in Europe, with name calling and bullying, if Leftist views are challenged.

Monday, October 01, 2018 at 02:03 PM | Permalink

Tags: Eagle Forum, Illinois Review